Personal cleansing compositions have been used for many years since the advent of lye. These compositions have been improved by utilizing various milder but still heavily foaming and cleansing surfactants as well as the addition of various additives such as fragrances, colors and fairly recently, antibacterial agents. These antibacterial agents serve to reduce the numbers of bacteria on the surface such as skin or even hard surfaces such as bathrooms and kitchens. Such bacteria includes staph aureus and s.epidermis. Many of these compositions are aqueous based whether they be in liquid form or solid such as bars. Most of the antibacterial agents are organic in nature and are therefore at least somewhat incompatible in the aqueous environment of a cleansing composition, be it for the skin or hard surfaces such as sinks and toilets. Examples of these antibacterial agents include the aromatic chloro carbanilides such as Trichlorocarban and various phenolic compounds such as Triclosan. Quite small amounts of these antibacterial agents are utilized in the cleansing compositions, usually less than 1.5 wt % of the composition. Therefore in order to obtain proper consistency of the entire composition, it is important to provide a proper solublizing material for these antibacterial agents. This is particularly important in a solid bar composition.
In the past it has been found that the use of Trichlorocarban in quantities to bring about a significant antibacterial action in cleansing compositions having a soap utilized polyethylene glycol such as PEG 12 as a solubilizer. However, these particular compositions involving the Trichlorocarban and the polyethylene glycol needed heating of the solubilizing mixture and the Trichlorocarban to a temperature in the mid-80.degree. C. range to bring about the appearance of proper solubilization. Additionally if allowed to stand for a significant period of time, the solubilized Trichlorocarban could become somewhat unstable under high moisture conditions thereby forming chloranilines.
A new solublizing agent for antibacterial compounds has been discovered. This material allows for successful solubilization of the antibacterial agent at a substantially lower temperature than the mid 80.degree. C. In fact such solubilization can occur at room temperature with Trichlorocarban. Additionally the material retains its stability while being exposed to significant levels of moisture. As measured by various antibacterial test systems, the cleansing composition with the antibacterial agent and particular solubilizing material is effective against staphaureus in both an in vitro test system as well as an in vivo forearm washing study.